D&D Dice Names
What each die is called and how players refer to standard polyhedral dice.
Dice talk at the table is short and specific. Once you know the names, spell blocks and shopping pages stop looking like alphabet soup.
The “d” naming system
In D&D notation, d means die/dice, and the number is the number of sides:
- 1d20 — roll one twenty-sided die
- 2d6 + 3 — roll two six-sided dice, add three
- 4d6dl1 — roll four d6, drop the lowest (common ability-score method)
The same shorthand appears in rulebooks, VTT macros, and our dice roller and dice calculator.
Everyday names vs formal names
| Table talk | Formal / shape name | Sides |
|---|---|---|
| d4 | Tetrahedron | 4 |
| d6 | Cube / hexahedron | 6 |
| d8 | Octahedron | 8 |
| d10 | Pentagonal trapezohedron (common modern form) | 10 |
| d12 | Dodecahedron | 12 |
| d20 | Icosahedron | 20 |
| d100 / percentile | Zocchihedron (true d100) or two d10s | 100 |
Nobody says “hand me the icosahedron” mid-combat. d20 is the name that matters.
Names you will hear for the tenth die
- d10 — standard 0–9 (treat 0 as 10 for damage unless the rule says otherwise)
- Percentile die / d% / tens die — usually 00, 10, 20… 90
- d100 — either the two-die method or a dedicated hundred-sider
If a listing says “7-piece set,” it almost always means d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20, plus percentile d10. Details: how many dice in a set.
Related jargon (not physical dice)
These sound like dice names but are rules concepts:
- Hit dice — your class’s HP die type and a healing resource (explained here)
- Damage dice — whatever the weapon or spell lists (could be d4 through d12, sometimes more)
- Honor / inspiration dice — table variants; still rolled on normal polyhedrals
How shops label products
Product titles often mix marketing and notation: “metal polyhedral set,” “sharp-edge resin,” “liquid-core d20.” The polyhedral / 7-piece language means the full D&D kit. Material words (metal, resin, gemstone) describe build, not a different ruleset.
Browse named collections: metal D&D dice, resin, gemstone, liquid-core.
Quick reference for new players
- Say the die code (“d8”) when asking to borrow one.
- Say the full expression (“2d20 keep highest”) for advantage-style rolls.
- Ask for percentile if you need the 00–90 die specifically.
Next: D&D dice types explained for what each die does in play, or what dice you need to buy your first set.